Twisted Love
by BananaMuffin146
Summary: (Short Story / No Names ) When does stalking become serious? When does love become dangerous? For one girl, her pregnancy and the mystery that surrounds it may just answer these questions.
1. Chapter 1

She sat in class. The professor stood at the front of the room and spoke in a monotone voice. He droned on and on about the qualities of ellipses. Nothing he said was heard by her. Her attention was focused on drawing circles at the top of her notebook. A free hand rested upon her stomach that had begun to bulge out in the last few months. As if on cue, the child inside her kicked against her stomach and made her grimace. The child kicked with a passion and brought only memories she wished to forget. There was no forgetting with this child. It kicked day and night as if a constant reminder.

The professor must of released the class for the day as people stood up and picked up their belongings with little chatter between them. She stood and did the same with the few notebooks that had barely any notes in them. She shifted the bag on her shoulder and waddled down the few steps carefully before exiting the room. Her classes were hard enough that she didn't need a baby on top of it all, yet she was not given a choice. She didn't know the guy whose choice it was.

The thought made her stomach flop, or perhaps it was the child moving inside her. Yet every time the memory came to mind, her stomach did that flop. She walked out of the large university building with a sigh. The warm May air greeted her and she stepped onto the thin sidewalk and began walking towards the small apartment she owned. As she walked she passed a young mother fighting with the stubborn toddler that followed her closely. She grimaced as she watched the kid cry and scream at his mother who continued pulling him along. She walked past the two and shook her head.

The apartment she lived in was not far from the university she was studying at. She skipped up the steps carefully, unlocked the door, and stepping inside to set her books on the close table. The boxes were still there, still stacked neatly in a corner of the small apartment. They hadn't moved in completely, even though she asked them to finish up the few boxes, her father and his girlfriend claimed they were still getting used to the area. They offered to move up with her for the pregnancy and the birth. She remembered sobbing to her father on the phone when the diagnosis of the mysterious disease turned out to be pregnancy. She thought she could keep the memories of that night a secret to all and denied her father's claims that she had done it on purpose. She never gave him the real reason, which the thought still made her upset, because she wanted it hidden and forgotten from her memories so desperately. She was grateful that they offered to move up with her and happily accepted. Then again, her father's girlfriend was unable to have children, and the woman's heart went out to the pregnant nineteen year old. The woman brought boxes and boxes of clothes and bottles when they moved in. She was the only person whose bright smile and enthusiasm about the pregnancy could reach the girl.

She stepped inside and grabbed the little piece of paper that was taped to the wall in such a way it was impossible for her to miss. She peeled it off and read the list. It was a short list of things they needed and it was possible for her to get the few items at the store just a few streets down. She stuffed the list in her pocket and made her way back outside. She followed the sidewalk with a hum until she reached the store quicker than she expected.

The store was simple with customers walking this way and that with their carts full of food. She shifted around and put an arm instinctively around her stomach as she walked towards the produce section.

He strolled inside with his hands in his pockets. His head was held high as he whistled a quiet tune. He took his time as he paced down the aisle slowly and he waited for her to begin her hunt for whatever she needed. He had been sitting on the bench on the other corner of her apartment and watched as she caressed her bulging stomach and carefully stepped up the stairs on her way home from school. He always wore the same sly smirk when he saw her walking with her growing belly visible. The idea excited him but he had been quickly roused from his thoughts as she exited her apartment just as quick as she had left. It wasn't every day he waited to see her, but today she must of had errands to run. He stood, stretched, and waited a casual moment before falling into step with her on the opposite side of the road.

She turned into the store and he followed moments later. That brought him to now. He picked up a small box and acted as if he was examining it quite seriously when in the corner of his eye, the girl moved to his aisle and stood staring at the cans in front of her. It took her a few moments and a few different attempts at finding the right can before she decided on one she had already picked up. He laughed silently to himself and turned to put the box back on the shelf. She turned in the direction of him and began walking back down the aisle towards him. He paused, half taken aback by this, and turned to offer a kind smile as she brushed by him.

"Congratulations, Miss," he said with a coy look.

She stared up at the guy in front of her. He was taller than she with dark hair and dark eyes. His skin was a light bronze and he had a faint smirk or smile playing on his lips. She faltered a moment in her thoughts. She hadn't been paying much attention to the customers in the aisle and slowed her pace considerably when she stood in front of him. Months ago, a congratulating comment from an individual would have made her glare or sick to the thought, but now she just accepted the statement with a forced smile or nod. She learned all too quick that it took too much energy to explain the situation and decided against any protesting. Yet this time her response came automatically.

"Thank you," she whispered up to the man before offering a smile a second too late and stepping past him. He smelled of musky cologne, which she had to admit smelled quite nice. She walked hastily down the aisle with the apples, crackers, and canned peaches in her arms to the cashier. She paid automatically and grabbed the small sack and headed out the doors without a second thought.


	2. Chapter 2

He stood and turned to watch her leave. He smiled to himself at her politeness to his answer, although it was clear in her eyes she wanted to protest against the situation he put her in. He put her through these nine months of chaos. Albeit, it wasn't his intention at first, he loved seeing her stomach bloated and bulging with his child inside of her. He casually exited the store without buying a single item. He tucked his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans as he turned to walk the opposite way as she should have been walking. After a few steps, he paused, and turned around before breaking into a jog in her direction. She was almost to the corner when he slowed his pace and walked up casually to her side. He turned and offered a friendly smile.

"Let me help you with your bags," he offered quietly. She stared up at him in amazement before giving a gentle shrug. The wind tousled her golden hair and she lifted a hand to brush the locks behind her ear. The bag wasn't heavy in the slightest and she doubted it looked heavy, so she smiled and shook her head.

"I'm alright, really. It's not heavy," she pointed out obviously. The two paused at the corner of the street to wait for the flashing green go symbol to light up so they could cross the road safely. It lit up and the two crossed without any words until they reached the other corner.

"Really, let me help you. I've seen you around the university, am I right?" he asked curiously and beamed when she gave a simple nod in return. She held out the bag slightly with a blush of her cheeks as his hand brushed her own and took the bag from her. He dramatically stumbled and acted as if the bag weighed a ton.

"Oh Lord! What is in this thing?!" he said with a smidge of sarcasm and dry humor. His actions made her laugh and smile brighter as the two walked. She placed her arms around the bulging stomach in the act and turned to smile up at him amusedly.

"Oh ha ha. A real riot you are," she teased as the two slowly neared her apartment. Once they entered the half empty parking lot, she stopped and turned towards him fully. A smile was now in place and she blushed slightly as she stared up at him. "This is my place. I'm sure I can handle it from here," she said as she held out her palm for the bag.

He grinned to himself as the two were walking. He seemed just like any other guy to her. A nice guy helping her out. He stared down at her and peered into her searching green eyes before reluctantly handing over the light bag. He shrugged about and stretched out his arms dramatically as his gaze peered around the apartment complex. It looked different from this view. He never stood directly in front of it in the daylight and he could see the window to her room. He looked back down at her and to her growing stomach between them. She had no idea he was the one that put it there, and it almost felt like taboo to be so close and friendly to the girl he raped.

"Let me know if you have anymore bags that need to be hauled. You are quite the shopper," he said with a wink before fishing out a piece of paper in his pocket and a pencil from his classes earlier today. He scribbled down his number and handed it over with a casual glance. "That's my number. No tricks or gimmicks, trust me. Just let me know if you ever want to talk or hang out or something," he said as he took a few steps backwards before waving a palm and walking back in the other direction.

She stared as he walked off so casually. It had been one of the first times a guy had ever stopped to talk to her so openly. Most shied off from her bulging stomach and the apparent threat it had. This one seemed unnerved by her growing stomach and acted nicer than most. She smiled to herself as she waved back at him. "I - I will," she called quietly before turning and beginning to walk back to her apartment. Just then, the child inside her began to kick furiously as the man departed. She grumbled to herself and ran up to her door before letting herself in and putting the few items away.

Her father had come home from work early and had apparently been peeking out the window at her and the boy for when she walked in the door he had on a smug smirk. He paced over to her and gave her a slight hug. "That boy seemed nice," he offered with a hint of humor in his voice. She shook free of him and grumbled.

"He was just some boy. I don't know him and he offered to carry my bags," she protested as she made her way back to her room. He laughed quietly as she shut her door and sat back onto her bed. The covers were messy and tossed everywhere, just as she had left them this morning. She pulled out the small slip of paper from her pocket that had the man's number scribbled onto it. She stared at it and smiled a moment before putting it carefully on her nightstand and made a promise to herself she would call at some point.


	3. Chapter 3

A few weeks passed and nothing abnormal happened. Her life was normal for now, but the due date in July was approaching quickly. On the last day of her first year in college, she came home and scrambled about for the tiny slip of paper finally. She had made up her mind to call and invite the boy to lunch if he so wished. She found the slip of paper tucked behind some loose papers on her nightstand and pulled it out to stare at the numbers with a bit of a rush. It was a leap for her, calling someone up like this, but it was the last day of school and she felt she deserved to have a friend to talk to. She pulled out the cell phone from her pocket and absently dialed the numbers. She was almost unsure of what she was doing until she heard his voice groggily answer. She panicked momentarily before clearing her throat and beginning to speak.

"Hello?" she whispered into the phone. It took a moment but quickly the man perked up and seemed to recognize her voice.

"Hello? Is it you?" he asked. She raised an eyebrow to herself and stood to pace around her room almost nervously. The baby inside her began kicking furiously yet again.

"The, uh, grocery girl. Remember?" she spoke softly. She hoped she didn't sound as unsure of herself as she felt. He laughed quietly, an almost inaudible sound.

"I remember. Finally decided to give a call now, did you? Do you need more grocery help? May I, such a strong man, be of service?" he joked. She could hear the sarcasm in his voice, but remembered how he stood taller and broader than her. She was sure he was built.

"No, no. My grocery needs are satiated for the time being. I was calling to ask if you wanted to maybe grab some lunch.. with it being the last day of school and all," she added quickly to make it seem more nonchalant. Just then, the baby sent a mean kick to her stomach and made her squirm as she waited for his response.

He had almost died when he heard her voice on his phone. He had been sleeping, and almost thought he was still asleep, until she asked him to have lunch. He bolted straight out of bed, knocking the covers over and exposing his naked form. He grinned to himself and pictured her standing about with her hands folded across his growing child. He all too eagerly accepted.

"I would love to," he said cooly. "Any place in mind?" He was surprised how calm he sounded when he was nearly leaping at the chance in his mind. He was wondering if she had grown any bigger since they last met. The thought led him to begin contemplating the sex of the child as she hesitated to answer.

"Maybe the little cafe down the street?" she offered with an unsure tone to her voice. He thought about the small cafe and how it was normally busy this time of day before shaking his head to himself.

"No, we'll go to the Italian restaurant on fifth avenue. Meet up there at around two, alright? I need to run. See you then," he didn't wait for her to respond but instead hung up and fell back into his pillows. An evil smirk crept to his lips as he let out a sigh of content.

She stared in disbelief at the phone. He had hung up on her without as much as a good bye. She frowned slightly, and sat back down on her bed to flop backwards onto her back. She let out a sigh and smiled faintly to herself. Only after she had begun to relax she remembered it was already near two. She groaned as she looked to the clock on her phone. A few minutes to spare to get ready, but not much time to waste. She hoisted herself up off her bed and tugged on a clean violet shirt. She stared at herself in the mirror and ran a hand across the bulge of her stomach. It had grown a bit since they had last seen each other, and hoped he didn't expect her to have already delivered the baby. She froze and began to ponder just how she would find any guy that would like her. She would have had a baby before twenty and not know who the father was. For all she knew, this boy could be thinking of her as an opportunity to have sex. Clearly she had done it before. Maybe not the ideal way, but it was a bit obvious by now. The idea sent tears rolling down her cheeks. She sniffed and wiped them off with the back of her hand before grabbing her purse and walking out the door.

Her dad's girlfriend had taken her car for the afternoon to go on the hunt for any cheap baby items they didn't already have. She had decided to keep the sex a secret and demand that the doctor not say until the child was born. A part of her, a large part of her, hoped the child would be a female and have many of her own characteristics. She feared it would be a replica of the man who did this to her and prayed that it wouldn't be.

She quickened her pace once she was out the door and walked in the direction of the restaurant. She had become accustomed to walking such distances in the warm weather. The exercise felt good and when she opened the door to the restaurant, her cheeks were slightly flushed. She glanced around and put an arm over her stomach protectively as a waiter came up to her. He looked young and well dressed with a serving book in a free hand.

"Can I help you, Ma'am?" he asked politely. Since the showing of her pregnancy, many people now treated her as a well respected adult. A part of her missed the snooty glares from the elderly and the annoyed middle-aged workers. She nodded slowly as her gaze scanned the dim restaurant. She had arrived on time and figured the place would be full, but she was proved wrong at the nearly empty restaurant.

"Yes. I am looking for a friend," she whispered as she continued to search. The man smiled and nodded swiftly.

"Yes, right this way. He said I should be expecting someone," he said respectfully as he led her down the hall and behind a corner to a secluded booth. The booth was set for two. A golden light hung down over the table and there he sat with his back towards her. She walked up before carefully sliding in on the other side with a smile. She gazed up at his dark eyes as his own stared into hers. They looked amused as she slid off her purse and folded her arms back over her stomach.

"Good afternoon," he chimed. He had been lost in the debate of his mind to realize she was near him until she slid into the booth. She had indeed grown a bit since the last he saw her and the fact made him smile. He leaned forward on the table to rest his chin in his palm. She always had her arms instinctively around his child, but her cheeks were rosy at the moment. She sat with good posture, but it made no difference in the fact he was clearly taller, even when sitting. She picked up a menu delicately and flipped the page. He watched as her green eyes scanned over the words carelessly and she smiled back a greeting.

"Afternoon," she said back.

"I almost didn't recognize you without the sack of groceries," he teased as he took a sip of his water before him. She stared up at him almost innocently with her eyes locked on his. They held for a second before she laughed quietly and shook her head.

"I'm sure I stand out from the others enough, Mr. Obvious," she joked.

"Why thank you, lieutenant Sarcasm," he spouted back quickly. The retort made her laugh and set the menu down to fold her hands on the table and look at him. He was having such a casual lunch with the girl he raped. The girl he took advantage of. The girl he got pregnant. That was his child in her stomach. The thoughts replayed over and over in his mind as he set down his own menu and folded his arms across the table to match her. It seemed so normal, but so secretive at the same time. "Did your finals go okay? I know mine didn't," he added as he tilted his head to the side.

She stared at him for a moment too long. She was supposed to respond. She was supposed to say something, but she eyed over his casually messy dark locks and matching dark eyes before shaking her head. "They were fine. I felt prepared enough. You are going to go back next year, right?" she asked with a bit too much concern in her voice. What she said seemed to make him smile as he dropped his gaze to the table with a nod.

"Yes, yes. Of course. I was hoping you were still going to attend. You will attend, won't you?" he asked her in return.

"If all goes as planned," she whispered. Her plans were to hire a cheap sitter for her child while she did her classes at the university or find an expensive day care. For now, her priorities centered around the upcoming birth. It was stressful enough to think about that she hadn't begun to focus on the next school year. It was far too early.


	4. Chapter 4

He stared for a moment after she stopped speaking. She watched as he nodded slowly and the waiter came up to his side. They ordered simple food and ate with minimal conversation, but she had a constant smile upon her face. She smiled so brightly at times over his childish humor that her cheeks began to ache and the baby began to kick. It was becoming clear to her that the child kicked swiftly and repeatedly when she was near the man across from her. She figured it must be a coincidence or perhaps it was just the constant reminder of what had happened. Maybe the child was warning her against others who could try to hurt her, like the man the night the child was conceived did.

The thought left her mind quickly as he was very entertaining and before she knew it, time had flew. An hour and a half had flown past and it was nearing three in the afternoon. Soon, she knew, her father would be coming home early from the fact it was Friday. He had offered to take the two girls out to dinner to celebrate the successful first year of college finally being complete, but she turned down the offer hastily and said she would prefer to relax. As she was worrying about the time, the man in front of her stood and stretched out his arms with a coy smile. They had been silent for some time as the two spoke, but it didn't seem awkward now. He offered out his hand as a kind gesture and she reached out with her own to take it. He helped her stand from the table before she stretched out her arms with a quiet laugh.

He held her delicate hand in his own. He was helping her. He was polite. She liked him. At least, he figured she liked him. A smile never faded from her lips when they spoke, and he took this to heart. The clueless girl was flirting with danger. He dropped her hand and turned to exit the building. She followed right after him. He held the door open for her and the two stood outside the restaurant before heading in the direction of her apartment.

"I'd say it's been a good day. A nice way to end the school year, if I do say so myself," he said quietly with a coy smirk. Her stuffed his hands into his pockets as the two strolled casually. Her arms were wrapped around her bulging stomach protectively, and he could now see the casual stretch pants and violet shirt she wore. She dressed in simple clothing and sported the pregnancy look well. Her hand clutched around the side of her stomach for a second, and as the two weren't speaking for the time being, he observed this and watched as her hand relaxed back a few seconds later. The baby must have been kicking. He lifted his head and stared upwards with a bright smile. He regretted nothing, but instantly wished he could confess to her about the child she was carrying. He wanted her to know so he could put his hands upon her stomach and feel the kicks and movements of the child inside her.

She would hate him if she knew. She acted as if she had forgot about the incident, at least, to outsiders. She had acted that way to him when he congratulated her. He remembered how her mouth twisted defensively and saw the hesitation in her eyes when he asked the question. He knew he could never tell the truth if he wanted to be a part, no matter how small, in the ordeal. He figured he would forget and move away from her. He wouldn't remember the night and life would continue on, but now he would always be intertwined with her life. No matter where she went or who she was with, he would always be her first and he would always be the father of that child.

He nodded along to himself as he thought of the idea. She was staring up at him now in curiosity. He blinked his eyes rapidly and gave a cheeky grin down at her. "What? I can daydream too, you know," he said with an accusing glance. Instantly she blushed and looked off as she chewed on her lower lip. The two paused to wait for traffic. Once clear, they continued on and stood before her apartment building much faster than he expected. He glanced around and gave a dramatically saddened sigh. "It seems we're here. You still have my number, right? Don't be afraid to call. I'll always answer," he assured her as he stepped backwards and began walking back to his place. He almost thought she wouldn't answer. Perhaps being so direct wasn't the best way, but as he was about to turn and check on her, he heard her call back.

"I'll call some time. Just keep your promise and answer," she nervously laughed before turning to walk up to her apartment. He nodded to himself and fingered the keys in his pocket. On his keychain was a simple metal key that he had taken from the hook inside her apartment many months back as a backup plan for later. He grinned slyly.


End file.
